Accelerator for automobile engines



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,568

I C. W. HICKS ACCELERATOR FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES Filed Dec, 29, 1926INVEN+DV W, fi

Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE! CYRUS HICKS, or wA Tnnm, MASSACHU ET S. V

1 ACCELERATOR FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES.

Application filed December 29, i926. Serial 30.157592.

L The inventionrelates to a new and useful improvement in acceleratorcontrol mechanism for internal combustion engines. for automobiles. Inthe usualv construction, the actuating mechanism for the valve which"controls the supply of fuel-to thecarburetor comprises several-elementsincluding a .foot 'member, a member connected with the Valve,tliatthefoot-followsthrough with a sudden quick movement and instead ofcausing a gradual opening ofthe valve it opens the valve abruptly,thereby causing a jerky or uneven movement of the vehicle.Furthermore,'whe'n'the action is stiff it requires considerable pressureby the foot all of the time and this causes cramping in the leg. The" IH18andsubstan'tially parallel with the intermediate body portion 17. Theother end of compound construction above mentioned also makes for lostmotion at the joints and this lost motion has to be taken'up before thevalve will move, thus preventing the instantaneous response which isimportant.

One object of the present invention is to provide acceleratormechanismof simplified construction whichv eliminates lost motion andmakes easier action. y

One feature conslsts 1n mak ng the accelerator .rod integralthroughout.v .Another featureconsists in a construction whereby theaccelerator rod is rotated on. its axis 'instead of moving in an;axial-direction, This a requires-less foot powerthan when the movementis inv an axial direction as in the ordinary construction.

. 'The invention will be fully understood.

from the, following description when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will be pointedout and clearly defined in the claims at the close of thisspecification.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an accelerator mechanism embodying theinvention applied to an automobile engine, there being shown only suchparts of the automobile'and engine as are necessary to illustrat'ethinvention. 1

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the accelerator' rod detached. Figs; 3and 4 are diagrams illustrating different positions of vthe acceleratormecha- IllSHL I Referringnow to the drawings,v 10 is the motor. 11 thecarburetor, 12 the intake manifold, 13 the butterfly valve; 14' thevalvespindle and. 15the usual lever or arm connected with the valvespindlelt and adapted I to be connected with the accelerator mechanism.At 16. is'shown the foot board.

The accelerator rod is designated as a whole at A and comprises anintermediate body portion 17 preferab1y straight, said body portionmerging at one end in a portlon 18 which extends substantially at rightangles to the-said body portion '17 and which terminates in an endportion 19' extending substantially at right angles to the portionthrough the parts 17, '18. and :19 will be at an angle to acplanepassing through 17 and The end portion 19 is adapted tobeengaged with ahole 9111 the valve-arm 15 and the end portion 20 serves as a pedaladapted to be engaged by the foot 22' of the operator.

In assembling the accelerator rod the pedal'end will be-first passedthrough a hole 23 in the foot board 16 and then the end member 19-canbe'inserted throughthe hole 9 in the arm 15 .of the valve. It will thus2? (sieen that the'parts are very easily assem- The hole 23 in the footboard serves as a bearing for one end of the accelerator rod, said holeas shown being somewhat larger than the diameter of the rod, to permitthe;

has an upright arm 25 in position to be enill) gaged by the intermediateportion 17 of the accelerator rod and serves as a side bearing therefor,as well as a guideduring the operation of the rod. A spring 26 securedat one end to the lower end of the portion 18 of the rod and at itsother end to the motor or other fixed support 'normally holds themediate portion 17 to'partially rotate on its axis and swing the portion18 and the valve connected portipn 19 in the direction of thearrowindicated at a in Fig. 1., thereby causing the valve arm to rotatein the direction of the 'arrow'indicated at b in said fig ure and openthe valve 13. It is obvious that the extent of opening of the valve willdepend upon the extent of depression of the pedal portion 20. When thepedal portion 20 is depressed as just above described, the upright guidemember against which the intermediate "portion 17 bears will prevent theportion 18 and said portion 17 from swinging over toward the left withthe portion 19 as'a fulcrum as might take place if it were not for saidguide member 25, but as i the portion 18 cannot swing to the left withthe portion 19 as a fulcrum and as the arm 15 is free to swing to theright, i.- e., in the direction of the arrow indicated at b in Fig.

1, said arm 15 is compelled to move to the right and open the valve.When the foot pressure is released the spring 26 will rock theaccelerator rod back to normal position and close the valve.

It will thus be seen that a simple and light downward-pressure of thefoot will operate the accelerator rod in a rotary move- 'ment withoutany push or pull in an axial direction and make for much easier actionby the operator, and for smoother running of the vehicle. It will alsobe obvious that the'accelerator rod being integral, there is tion engineand has a member adapted to be operatively connected with an acceleratorrod, an accelerator'rod having an lntermediate body portion, an arm atone end thereof extending substantially at right angles thereto andhaving pivotal engagement with said valve member, the other end of saidrod having an arm forming a pedal pro ecting a bearing for said bodyportion adjacent the pedal member, a vertically elongated bearinglocated on the opposite side of the axis of said body portion from saidvalve so constructed and arranged as to resist lateral movement'of thesaid bodyportion in the opposite direction from-thelvalve, butpermittingvertical movement thereof whereby the body portion while rotating ispermitted toalso move vertically on its vertical bearing and the valveoperating arm is permitted to move in-a curved path. 7 a

- 2. In combination with a valve which controls the fuel supply of-aninternal combus tion engine and has a member adaptedto'be'" operativelyconnected with an accelerator rod, an accelerator rod having anintermediate body portion, an arm at onefendthereof extendingsubstantially at right angles thereto and having pivotal engagementwithsaid valve member, the other end of said'rod havlng an arm forming apedal extendlng at an angle thereto, said pedal'andsaid valve operatingarm being so disposed with relation to each other that a" plane passingthrough said pedal and said body portion will be at an angle ofsubstantially to a plane passing through said valve operating arm andsaid body portion, said pedal portion being adapted to be depressed torotate said body portion on its axis, a bearing for said bodyportionadjacent the pedal member, a vertically elongated bearing locatedon the opposite side of the axis of said body portion fromsaid valve soconstructed and arranged asto resist lateral movement of the said bodyportion in the opposite direction from the valve,but permitting verticalmovement thereof whereby the body portion while rotating is permitted toalso movevertically on its vertical bearing, 7

3. In combinationwith a valve which controls the fuel supply "of aninternal combustion engine and has a member adapted to be itsoperatively connected with an accelerator rod, an accelerator rodcomprising 'a straight body portion terminating at one end in an armextending at substantially right angles thereto and then continuingparallel with I the axis of said body portion to form an olfset portionparallel with said body portion and having operative connectionwith-said valve, the other end of said body portion terminating in anarm extending at an angle thereto and adapted to serve as a pedal, thepedal portion and the said body portion being in a plane which issubstantially at rightangles to a plane which passes through the ofisetportion at the other end and said body portion, a bearing for saidintermediate body portion adjacent the pedal portion, a vertical bearingsurface for said body portion on the opposite side of the-axis thereoffrom the said valve operating member so constructed and arranged astoform a side stop for the rod Whenit is rotated and which 10 permitsvertical movement of the intermediate portion'of the rod. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CYRUS W. HICKS;

